Constant velocity universal joint



Dec. 19, 1944. c. H. TAYLOTQ CONSTANT VELOCITY UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed April 13, 1942 IN VEN TOR (04 A 72: YA 0/? QHK t 97 a,

A TTO'RNE Y Patented Dec. 19, 1944 FlcE CONSTANT IVELOCITYUNIVEBSAL JOINT Cecil Taylor, South Bend, Ind.. assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a. corporation of Delaware Application April 13, 1942,Serial No. 438,693

3 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in universal joints of the constant angular velocity type, particularly to the application thereof in automotive vehicles employing front wheel drives. In certain types of universal joints heretofore employed it has been diflicult, if not impossible, to maintain the joint in assembled relationship either when shipping or when removing same from a vehicle, or other use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a universaljoint which will maintain parts thereof in assembled relationship when removed from a vehicle.

It is an object to provide a joint which can be maintained in assembled relationship at all times but which will beeasy to disassemble whenever desired.

Another object is to provide a joint which will be easy of manufacture, and which will be easy to assemble.

Still another object is to provide a universal joint having a freely movable element which will transmit torque and yet have little tendency to bind should there be a deficiency of lubricant present in the joint.

Yet another object is to providea universal joint having a high "working angle.

A further object is to provide a joint having a minimum of parts, and which will be easy to assemble during the manufacturing. process or at any other time. 1

It is still further an object to provide a joint which will require parts which are relatively simple to forge and to machine.

Further objects will be apparent from a study of the following specification and drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded elevation view of the parts of one embodiment of forming this invention;

Figure 2 shows one of the yoke members in elevation and the method whereby the torquetransmitting partly-spherical segment is attached to the yoke;

Figure 3 shows in elevation the joint of Figure 1 in assembled relationship, the right-hand half of part of the joint being shown insection;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the assembled position of the joint shown in Figure 1, the'left-hand yoke member and the left-hand torque-trans mitting partly-spherical segment being shown in section along the plane containing the radii which bisect the segment, which plane is also normal to the plane of the yokes;

Figure 5 is an elevation view of the assembled the universal joint universal joint contained in a spherical housing which is shown in section, the torque-transmithaving -encl flanges for keeping the joint prop- I erly spaced and aligned; and

Figure '7 is an endview' of Figure 6 showing in more detail the structure of the center plane.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown alefthand driving yoke member Ill. Rotation is transmitted to driven yoke member 12 through the medium of a connecting partly-spherical member 14, and a partly-spherical member it, formed with slots I8 and 20 respectively, to receive a plate member 22. Plate. member 22 is secured to the partly-spherical members it and It by means of pins 24'which have driven fits in bore 25 of the plate 22 and sliding 'fits in the radial bores 21 ofpartly-spherical members l4and [6. A pair of bronze wear plugs 26 having a longitudinal bore 28 are positioned at each end of the pin 24.

One arm of each yoke member is provided with a radial bore 30 of a diameter small enough so that the wear plugs will be retained in place by the yoke arms. The diameter of these bores is large enough to accommodate a pin or a punch for a purpose which will be described later.

.Since each yoke member embraces a central angle greater than it is obvious that each yoke member cannot be attached to its attendant partly-spherical segment except by first placing the two parts in the positionvshown in Figure 2, and then rotatingthe segment through some angle from that shown in Figure 2 until the yoke engages the partly-spherical member. Likewise, because of this angle, which is greater than 180, it is impossible to separate the two elements except by rotating the member with respectto the yoke through the same angle back to a position like that shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 3 is shown the joint completely assembled, and the manner in which the center plate 22 is secured to the partly-spherical segments I4 and 16. Figure 3shows also the manner in which the joint may be first'assembled and then disassembled. The procedure for assembling the universal joint is ,as follows.

The yoke member I2 is first connected to its associated partly-spherical member 16 as shown in Figure 2; and when each yoke is connected, the partly-spherical members must each be conaxial thrust from one yoke to the other.

nected to the plate 22. This is accomplished as shown in Figure 3. Theyoke member I2 is swung as shown and connecting pin 24 is press-fitted into the plate 22. The wear plug 26 is then placed back of the pin 24 and swaged into place by inserting a tapered pin into the bore of the plug 26 and then giving the pin a firm blow so that the metal of plug 26 engages the walls of bore 21 in frictional contact. The procedure is repeated on the plug which is adjacent the other.

end of the pin 24, after first rotating yoke member I2 counterclockwise until the upper limb of the yoke I2 is contiguous to the upper limb of yoke I6. In such a position it will be possible to insert the wear plug 26 in the bore 21 and then swage it in proper position by means of a tapered pin as described before.

After securing the right-hand yoke assembly to the plate 22 the same sequence of operations is applied to the left-hand assembly to secure it to the plate 22.

The completed assembly as shown in Figure 3 may be disassembled as follows. The right-hand yoke member I2 is rotated to the position shown in Figure 3, when the bore 36 in the yoke member will be in axial alignment with the bores 21 and 25 in the member I6 and the plate 22 respectively. A pin or a punch is inserted in the bore 36 and the two wear plugs 26 and the pin 24 are driven out. The same procedure is followed for the left-hand yoke member I6 to disassemble the joint.

Figure 4.is a plan view of the assembled joint shown in Figure 3, the left-hand spherical member I4 and left-hand yoke member being shown in section on a plane which bisects the plate member 22 along its smallest dimension. It will be noted that the members I4 and I6 respectively have curved nose surfaces to take the This construction aids in taking the shear on the pins 24, 24 which connect the plate 22 to the members I4 and I6.

The arrangement shown in Figure 4 shows the amount of angular displacement in the plane of the plate 22 permitted by the members l4 and I6 and the plate 22. The arrangement shown in Figure 5 illustrates the amount of angular displacement permitted by the yoke members I6 and I2 in the plane of the yokes. torque transmitting plate has a bisecting plane which will always be in the planes containing the bisector of the angle between the two yoke members I6 and I2 and their attendant shafts,

uniform velocity will be transmitted from one yoke to the other. This requirement to achieve uniform angular velocity is known to those skilled in the art and will not be explained in further detail here.

In Figures 6 and 7 there is shown another embodiment of the invention making unnecessary the pin connection between the plate 22 and partly-spherical segments I4 and I6 which was described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The joint shown in Figures 6 and 7 comprises a driving shaft 46 to which is integrally attached a yoke 42. Driven shaft 44 is integrally attached to driven yoke 46. The yokes 42 and 46 are in cooperating engagement with' partly-spherical members 48 and 56 respectively and are connected as described with reference to Figure 2. A recess in each of the members 48 and 56 corresponding to the slotted portions I8 and 26 of Figure 1 receives aplate 52 having flanges or heads 54 at each end of the plate and imme- Since the diately adjacent to the outer surfaces of the members 48 and 56.

The embodiment shown in Figures 6 and 7 has an advantage in that the center plate 52 is free to take any position in the slotted recesses of the members 48 and 56, and is only restrained in movement by the flanges 54 which cooperate with the members 48 and 56. Such'freedom of movement'insures that the center plate 52 will always seek the position'of least restraint in the recess of the members 48 and 56. Since the plate 52 is never forced by movement of the members 48 and 56 into any particular position in the recesses it is apparent that the plate will tend to float, following the movement of either 48 or 56 Whichever at the moment presents the highest frictional contact with the plate. Hence the momentary friction between plate and its contacting members is always minimum and the rubbing areas are constantly shifting. This results in creation of smaller amounts of heat caused by friction and greatly reduces the chance of seizure of the rubbing surfaces, a decided advantage.

In Figure 5 a universal joint like that described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 is shown enclosed in a housing. The housing may be of the type used as a dirt and grease seal, or may be of the steering-axle type used in front-wheel drives for automotive vehicles.

The universal joint shown in Figure 5 consists of a driving shaft 66 to which is integrally attached driving yoke 62. Torque is transmitted from driving yoke 62 to partly-spherical member 64, and thence to plate 66, from whence it is transmitted in turn to partly-spherical member 68 and to driven yoke I6, and then to driven shaft I2. The plate 66 is secured to the members 64 and 68 through the media of pins I4 and retaining plugs I6 in a manner described before with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The entire assembly is enclosed in a housing consisting of a hemispherical bell I8, a hernispherical bell 86 of larger diameter than bell I8, and a partly-spherical ring 82 in sliding contact with bell I6 and attached to bell 86. Ring 82 and bell 66 may be provided with annular flanges 84 and 66 respectively which may be brought together in the manner shown as by bolts 88 through holes spaced in each flange and which are secured by nuts 96.

Provided in connection with the housing are bearing means for supporting the shaft immediately adjacent the universal joint. Hemispherical bell I6 contains a bearing seat 62 against which is positioned a bearing 64 which is shown as a ball. bearing. The bearing 94 is mounted on driving shaft 66 adjacent an upset portion 96 on the shaft 66. Hemispherical bell 86 is provided with a similar bearing seat 98, a bearing I66 which is mounted upon driven shaft I2 immediately adjacent to upset portion I62.

Although this invention has been described with reference to desirable embodiments thereof it is not intended that itsscope be limited to the embodiments shown, which are for purposes of illustration only, nor otherwise than by the terms of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A universal joint comprising a driving member and a driven member, a pair of partlyspherical members associated one each with said driving and driven members, said partlyspherical members having cooperating curved nose surfaces adapted to take the axial thrust transmitted from the driving member to the driven member a recess in each of the partlyspherical members'adapted to. receive a platelike element to transmit torque from the driving member to the driven member, a pair of bores in each of the partly-spherical members and the plate-like element, the bores of the platelike element being coaxial with the first mentioned bores, a pair of pins associated one with each set of bores for holding the partly-spherical members to the plate-like element, a pair of bores associated one with the driving member and one with the driven member and so disposed with reference to each partly-spherical member that upon rotation of the member its associated bore is in axial alignment with the other bores so that the pin may be removed to disassemble the joint.

2. A universal joint comprising a driving yoke and a driven yoke, a pair of partly-spherical members associated one each with said driving and driven yokes, said partly-spherical members having cooperating curved nose surfacesadapted to take the axial thrust transmitted from one of said yokes to the other, said driving and driven yokes embracing central angles of more than 180 whereby permanence of assembly is maintained with their associated partly-spherical members, a recess in each of the partly-spherical members adapted to receive a plate-like element to transmit torque from the driving yoke to the driven yoke, a pair of bores in each of the partlyspherical members and the plate-like element, the bores of the plate-like element being coaxial with the first mentioned bores, a pair of pins associated one with each set of bores for holding the partly-spherical members to the plate-like element, a pair of bores associated one partly-spherical member that upon rotation of the yoke its associated bore is' in axial alignment with the other bores so that the pins may be removed to disassemble the joint.

3. A universal joint comprising a driving yoke and a driven yoke, a pair of partly-spherical members associated one each with said driving and driven yokes, said yokes embracing central angles of more than 180 whereby permanence of assembly is maintained with their associated partly-spherical members, a recess in each of the partly-spherical members adapted to receive a plate-like element to transmit torque from the driving member to the driven member, a pair of bores in each of the partly-spherical members and the plate-like element, the bores of the plate-like element being coaxial with the first mentioned bores, a pair of pins associated one with each set of bores for holding the partly spherical members'to the plate-like element, a plurality of plugs located one at each end* of said pins and adapted to be swaged in the partly- 

